Stones, Diamonds and Warmth
by ellelynch
Summary: Bella loves two men and with a new villain on the lose only one man can protect her from it whilst one is threatened. Set at the end of NM when Bella can't decide if she's going to kiss Jacob in the car. She does, only to be interruped by Alice. More soon
1. Chapter 1

_**Stones, Diamonds and Warmth.**_

_**We meet Bella and Jacob after Jacob is dropping Bella back off at her house after the cliff-diving accident. Bella is questioning whether or not she should kiss Jacob. **_

_**DISCLAIMER: Oh, how I surely wish I was Stephenie Meyer. However, I am not, and these characters belong to her and her alone! As does this plot, though I've meddled with it a little. :)**_

_If I'm ever going to do it, _Bella thought, _then now is the time._ With an onslaught of butterflies, she twisted her head to the side and softly planted her lips on Jacob's warm shoulder. She felt his muscle tense underneath her kiss and she lifted her eyes from underneath her lashes to see Jacob staring down at her, eyes boring into her soul. Timidly, he lifted his hand up and placed two big fingers underneath Bella's chin and tilted her whole face up to his.

"Bella…" He began, his eyes closing as he sighed. "Bella, are you sure?" Jacob's voice was husky. That one question was concealing a hundred others. Bella looked down as her heart thudded inside her chest.

"I'm not sure of anything, but I want it right now. I want you right now," she whispered, her voice betraying the guilt and wistfulness she felt. Jacob coaxed her widened eyes towards his dark ones and Bella felt a warm electric current flow through Jacob's fingers. He brushed a strand of hair back from her face with his other hand and leaned in hesitantly to brush his lips on hers. Bella melted onto Jacob's chest and pulled her face level with Jacob's, eyes closed, breathing in his scent. Her arms wound around his neck and their lips worked together, conducting electricity as sparks set off throughout their bodies. She ran her hand up his back and felt him flinch under her.

"What is it?" Bella asked him, worried she was pushing him too far. _But this isn't Edward. Why is he refraining?_ she thought to herself.

"Vampire," Jacob's voice dripped with hate as he started shaking. "Bella, we're going."

"No, we can't! If someone's here… something must have happened! I have to go and see who it is," she insisted, reaching for the handle. Jacob flung his quivering arm out to stop her.

"I can't go in there. I have to tell the pack, and I'm not in control. Please come back to The Reserve with me!" She reached for the handle again.

"Please understand, Jake. I only want to see if they're alright," Bella pleaded.

"You don't even know if it is the Cullen's! I can't protect you right now," he sounded hurt.

Bella took a deep breath and skipped out of the vehicle before Jacob could say anything else.

"I'll call you, to let you know I'm safe," she promised him.

A growl erupted from Jacob's throat, "I'll be back in 5 minutes, the pack will be behind me." And with that, he sped off down the street, tires squealing on the road.

Bella walked into her house. "Hello?" She asked the roof. "Hello?"

"Bella?" A high, tinkling voice asked, disbelief in each letter.

"Alice?!" Bella shrieked and stared at the person before her. Bella was so confused. What was Alice doing here by herself? Why did she look so surprised to see her here, in her own house?

"Bella!" Alice rushed towards her, descending the stair case in such a way that despite the present situation, Bella still found herself envying.

"What are you doing here? Where is…" Bella's voice trailed off when she saw the expression on Alice's pale face.

"Italy, Bella. That's why I'm here," desperation oozed through her words.

Italy. Edward had told Bella how that was one of the only ways they could die - anger the Volturi. Alice saw the knowledge click in Bella's chocolate eyes. Bella sank to the floor.

"Oh no, are you okay?" Alice asked her, frowning.

"Why is he there?!" her voice came out as a frightened shriek.

Alice lowered her head, in embarrassment and grief, "I had a vision."

"Of?" Bella probed.

"You were falling, Bella, falling. Plummeting into the ocean! When you didn't come back up…"

"He thinks I'm dead? But why would he care Alice? He left me, remember?" _And he has Jacob to thank for me being reasonably alive!_ Bella added begrudgingly to herself.

"He lied! Edward made it all up to protect you. Him and his notions! Now they're going to get him killed. He didn't even check to see if you were actually dead. They put too much faith in my visions even when they know they're subjective! Oh, and what is that wretched smell? Your house smells like," she stopped and wrinkled her nose, "that."

Bella whirled around and saw Jacob leaning on the doorway, light pooling on the porch behind him, arms crossed tightly across his chest.

"Hello, leech," Jacob spat the word. "What do you want here? We were quite happy before you turned up again."

Bella's cheeks reddened as she remembered to a few minutes before and Alice lifted her nose in the air. Whether it was it was an indignant motion or if she was sniffing the air, Bella couldn't tell. Jacob's eyes narrowed.

"I've come to take Bella to the Volturi," Alice said icily, before turning her dark golden eyes back on Bella. "Will you come to Italy? He won't believe that you're still alive if I try to tell him. He will only believe it coming from you."

Bella found it impossible to resist such a pleading, beautifully sad voice. With a glance at Jacob, whose body was trembling head to toe, she nodded. "When do we leave?" She said softly, terrified, both of Jacob's convulsions and Edward's perilous situation.

Alice was eyeing Jacob when she replied, "Now." Her face was apologetic to Jacob and I nodded again. Bella walked to Jacob carefully, before rising on her tip toes. "Take care of yourself Jacob. I'll be back soon. Please, please… stay safe," she whispered into his ear, laying a hand on his overly warm arm. He pulled her into a rib crushing hug, and kissed her firmly on the lips.

"If she doesn't come back here in one piece, bloodsucker," Jacob said to Alice threateningly, "I swear, treaty or no treaty, there will be trouble!" He kissed Bella once more on the lips said, "Come back to me, Bella. Don't forget me." With that, he strode out the door, his hot breath still tingling on Bella's neck.

**I will update very soon! First Fan Fiction so reviews would be really good. Please? I shan't bribe you with more chapters, but I will love you forever if you do review! Thanks. X Smellen.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**DISCLAIMER: Yep, I still don't own any of the characters nor the idea of Twilight. *sighs and pats self comfortingly on shoulder.* One day… One day. **_

Alice had sped to the airport in her shiny, fast car with Bella staring blankly out her passenger window. Green blurred in front of her eyes and she wondered if she would ever get to see the forest again, or Jacob's garage, or Charlie pulling into the driveway in the cruiser after a day at work, or Angela's consoling smile. She sighed heavily and Alice looked at her out of the corner of her eye.

"Are we nearly at the airport?" Bella asked Alice tonelessly. Alice ducked her head to glimpse at a passing sign that went flashing past the car.

"We should be there in about five minutes, we're coming into the city now, look!" Alice said encouragingly and gestured to the cityscape surrounding them.

"Once we're on the flight, you're going to explain everything to me, aren't you, Alice?" The vulnerability in Bella's voice made Alice wince. She had seen brief visions of Bella and she had always been clutching at her sides as if she were being torn apart from the inside out and only her pressing against herself would stop her rib cage from bursting. _Unless she were with that dog, _Alice remembered,_ then I may as well be blind! All that fog that those runts create!_

"Yeah, in detail. You need to know what's going on, what to expect, what to do and most importantly, who to expect."

Alice heard Bella gulp and her heart fluttering frantically in her chest.

Bella was still in a trance. She stared out of one of the tiny, circular windows that dotted up the plane's entire length, and looked at the thick blanket of white lying beneath the plane. She had no idea what to expect and she was scared. She couldn't bear the thought of Edward killing himself, especially over her. Especially when she wasn't even dead for Christ's sake! What was he thinking, being so reckless? Didn't he even think to call her house? _Oh well,_ she thought, _knowing my luck, even if he did call the house, there would be some terrible mix up and he'd be in Italy, regardless._ She shook her head, trying to clear some space for the rush of information she could tell Alice was bracing herself to give to Bella.

"Okay," Alice said in a hushed whisper, checking over her shoulder to see the proximity of the other passengers. "I'm getting glimpses of what he's planning to do, but it's changing so fast! I can scarcely keep up with it and I've no idea how he manages to. He's considering the quickest way to get it done. Now, obviously that'd be to reveal our secret. He's tossing up between juggling with cars in the town's square, biting someone,-" She stopped at Bella's shocked expression, "-no, no. It's okay; he disregarded that thought almost as soon as he had it. I think he was more just amusing himself with cynical thoughts. Anyway, so the juggling one, the biting one, or he's going to walk into the sunlight. How simplistic of him," she added bitterly.

If Edward were to walk into the sunlight, there would be no masking of what he was. The veil would have well and truly slipped down to reveal his pale, glittering skin. _Like diamonds._ Bella remembered the beautiful patterns Edward's skin had taken on when he was in the meadow. _Oh yes, that'd be more than enough to cause a riot, and perhaps a witch hunt. If the Volturi don't get him first,_ Bella had to admit the idea was clever. It was something that special effects never could have mastered and people couldn't possibly deny it wasn't real.

"Mmm, indeed, simplistic. How do I stop him? How can I convince him that I am alive? How can he be even that foolish not to consider it, Alice? He was always so careful!" Bella raised her voice, and passengers lowered their newspapers and paper back novels to see what the source of the commotion was.

Alice threw Bella a warning look before continuing, "Just let me see for a little bit. He's doing a final deliberation."

Bella resumed gazing out her window.

"Alice, Alice! We're touching down. We have to get on our second plane," Bella shook her very gently, not wanting to corrupt any visions she might be having. She knew that wasn't how it worked, but she was feeling especially jittery. Alice's eyes fluttered open and she shook her head a little, waiting for her eyes to focus again.

They ran with haste through the maze of terminals and caught their connecting flight in the nick of time. Alice sunk back into her chair and resumed her seeing. By now, Bella was tired of staring at the clouds that looked so much like white cotton candy. She began to worry, as was her nature. She worried about Jacob. Did the pack know by now what was going on? Surely, they did. She wondered how they were taking the news. _I hope Jacob is okay. Please, please Jacob! I want both of you to be okay,_ she prayed to no one in particular. What story had Jacob fed Charlie? _Charlie! Oh no, poor Charlie._ He already had to deal with her running away once before and at least she'd given him the story herself. This time, nothing. No note, no teary goodbye. Just emptiness, like the void in her heart. She felt the plane falling slowly and finally the skidding on the wheels on the tarmac. Bella stretched her arms out and yawned. This time, when she reached over to wake Alice, her eyes were already wide open, focusing, and they frightened. Bella looked at her, the question plastered across her face as plain as day.

"He's decided. He's going to walk into the sun, Bella. He's going to expose himself."

They were darting across the countryside in a stolen sports car. Alice had cast a glance at the sun that was beating down, sighed and made sure to hot wire a car that had tinted windows. "Bella, he's walking in the middle of the town square at midday- when the Sun is at its highest. We might get there in time. We just might," Alice couldn't help but let the hope tinge her voice. Bella hoped along with her. "When we get there, I'll put you in the right direction. Obviously I can't drive to him, the town square will be far too crowded and no more can I run to him. I don't plan on dying today," she said the last sentence with too much doubt to keep Bella from feeling easy.

"Does that mean that I have to run through hoards of people? And somehow manage to show myself to him before the clock strikes twelve?" Bella smiled to herself at the familiar phrase. Her smile was wiped off her face when she realized what she had said. She had to run? "Alice! I have to run to him!" Alice couldn't help but notice the emphasis on the word 'run' although she pretended she hadn't. She couldn't afford to taint any of Bella's limited confidence.

"Yes, I know. You'll be fine Bella. You won't fall, I know you won't." Bella breathed a bit easier. If Alice said she wouldn't fall, she wouldn't. Unless someone decided to do it on purpose, she'd only see that the second before it happened. "Keep asking for the Clock Tower if you lose your way. Just run that way. Do anything you can for Edward to notice you."

They arrived at their destination and Alice dodged and wound her way though the spindly streets. A point came where guards asked her who she was. "My name is Alice," she flashed a dazzling smile at the two men, who seemed momentarily stunned. Bella noticed Alice motioning with her hand to run. The rest of Alice's conversation was drowned out by adrenalin, as Bella gripped the door handle and the door flew open. Bella skidded and slipped down the streets and screeched around corners, following the path that Alice had told her to take. She heard crowds ahead of her- she must be getting close. Her breath came in ragged pants until she hit a wall- a wall made of flesh and clothes, of laughter, chatter and faces.

"Excuse me," Bella pushed on the wall and gradually she made pace. She craned her neck up to look at the clock. She had one minute. Slowly, she slid her way through the crowds. _How can people be so oblivious someone is trying to get through?_ Bella asked herself furiously, to save from screaming at the top of her lungs. Thirty seconds to go now. Her heart pounded, blood boiling in her veins. She was still one hundred meters away from Edward and her path was blocked by bumbling fools! Bella screamed in frustration, startling onlookers around her. They moved out of the way quicker now, staring at her as if she'd escaped from a mental institution. _I wonder what they'd think if they knew what I was running TO?_ She shook her head at the stupid thoughts she was having in time of great anxiety. Twenty seconds. _MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!_ She screamed in her mind. Bella pushed and shoved, and got shoved back. She stumbled, regaining her balance before she toppled onto the cobblestones. Ten seconds. She was only twenty meters away. She sprinted flat out, screaming. A path cleared for her. Five seconds. She pushed herself to the extreme, her legs screaming in denial, her face dripping with cold sweat. Then, she saw him and her mind went momentarily blank. He was so close, but his eyes were closed. _How in the hell does he expect to see me with his eyes shut? _Bella's mind was screaming at Edward._ Oh, he doesn't expect to see me. Ha. _She was only ten meters away now. Three seconds. She saw him lift his foot up, the muscles moving in his bare chest with every movement. He sure would attract attention shirtless, in the middle of a crowded town square, teeming with Volturi guards at every nook and cranny, every street corner and doorway- even if he didn't glitter like the most expensive jewel on Earth. She started yelling and screaming. "EDWARD!" His lips raised into that half smile that had once made Bella's knees melt. One second. She jumped and bowled Edward over just as the over bearing 'ding' of the clock tower struck twelve.

**Ahh, how exciting. : ) Review, please? I wrote the first two chapters on the same night. *Yawn.* I will update as soon as I can. *Yawns more.* Nothing would make me happier to get home from work tomorrow and find reviews! Thanks. X Smellen.**


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